INDEPENDENCE -- Unless you were born more than 25 years ago, you're probably too young to fully appreciate &quot;Let's Make a Deal.&quot;

INDEPENDENCE -- Unless you were born more than 25 years ago, you're probably too young to fully appreciate "Let's Make a Deal."

But youthful indiscretion didn't prevent fun for Independence Elementary School students during an April 13 assembly themed after the game show. Kids laughed at silly costumes or chanting "take it" as fifth-grader Sebastian Perfecto mulled between a mystery prize and what was behind curtain number No. 1.

But then again, the closing celebration of the school's annual Read-a-thon is always a good time.

"This is wonderful," said John McArdle, Independence mayor doing his best Jay Stewart shtick on this morning. McArdle has taken part in the festivities since his son -- now a Central High senior -- attended school here. And before.

There was a twinge of melancholy to this 22nd edition, however. It marked the last one for Moms-4-Reading, a group of local moms who have planned and coordinated the event since the early 1990s.

Joy Hoffman, Marilyn Morton, Liane Moser and Kristy Vandercreek announced their retirement from the event in the fall. All four were honored last week.

"I'm a little sad," Morton of Independence said. "It doesn't feel like 22 years have passed."

"It went fast," Moser agreed. "I never would have dreamed that when we started doing this, it would still be going on."

IES's Read-a-thon is a literacy initiative that entices children to read by awarding school "cash" redeemable for prizes -- donated by the Masonic Lodge -- for hours spent hitting the books during a five-month period.

Teachers have praised it for boosting reading practice outside of the classroom.

For this school year, students read the equivalent of 16 months, 10 days and four hours. Perfecto was this year's top reader -- he read for nearly 190 hours.